16/05/13 ENOUGH Project (Washington, DC) – Congo-Kinshasa: Mary Robinson's Policy Options for Peace in Congo – Report

 

Enough Project Congo Researcher and report co-author Fidel Bafilemba
said:

 

International pressure on Rwanda
to stop supporting armed groups, and on Congo to enact reforms, helped
split M23 and led to Bosco Ntaganda's surrender to the International Criminal
Court. U.N. envoy Mary Robinson can take advantage of this moment and initiate
a comprehensive peace process that includes regional negotiations and a
Congolese democratic reform process. Civil society must be at the negotiation
table this time around.

 

Eleven African heads of state and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Congo and the Region on February
24, diplomatic framework to address the drivers of the war. And in March, the
U.N. appointed Mary Robinson as Special Envoy.

 

Enough Project Senior Policy Analyst and report co-author Sasha Lezhnev
said:

 

For too long, the "Three K's"– Kigali, Kampala, and Kinshasa
– have been competing violently in eastern Congo, but the Dodd-Frank
legislation on conflict minerals has made it much more difficult to profit from
the illicit trade. Now is the time to offer the region a forum to legitimately
cooperate on economic and security issues. To provide incentives for the
economic talks, the Obama administration should launch a responsible investment
initiative with the private sector and NGOs that explores expanded investments
in conflict-free natural resources in the region.

 

Because of its close relationship with, and ability to influence Congo, Rwanda,
and Uganda, the U.S. government should play an active role in Congo's
peace process. The report, "Mary Robinson's Next Steps to Help End Congo's
Deadly War," offers six recommendations, including that the U.S. rapidly
deploy a senior U.S. envoy to support the peace process; sanction key gold smugglers
and officials aiding armed groups; provide military advisors to the U.N.
Intervention Brigade to combat spoiler armed groups; and support the
International Criminal Court to investigate and issue arrest warrants for
at-large war criminals in eastern Congo.

 

Enough Project Co-founder and report co-author John Prendergast said:

 

One of the most pressing challenges for Special Envoy Robinson and other
diplomats will be the construction of a credible process that allows Rwanda,
Uganda, and Congo to work together to address the security and economic drivers
of violence in eastern Congo. Working together to enhance regional
infrastructure, undertake joint economic projects, and create a conflict-free
minerals trade will attract foreign investment and allow the regional economic
pie to grow larger, thus benefiting everyone. That will be the biggest
incentive for peace in the Great Lakes region,
and provide the international community with real leverage to end violent
conflict there.

 

Read
the report: "Mary
Robinson's Next Steps to Help End Congo's Deadly War"